Police Arrest Liga Players In Match Fixing Probe

Leeds star Samuel Saiz Alonso is among a group of Spanish footballers who have been arrested on suspicion of match-fixing and money laundering in a huge police operation.

Former Real Madrid star and Leeds loanee Raul Bravo is also among the group of Spanish footballers who have reportedly been detained on suspicion of match-fixing in this season’s La Liga.

The Spanish National Police launched the operation into match-fixing in La Liga and La Liga 2 and local newspaper El Mundo report former Real Madrid defender Raul Bravo was arrested on suspicion of being at the head of the criminal organisation.

Local media report the investigation was launched last year after a criminal complaint was made regarding the match between Huesca and Nastic and has focused on the last few matches of this season which have just been played.

Among those arrested are Raul Bravo, 38, who spent six months in 2003 on-loan at Leeds United, Borja Fernandez, 38, who played for Real Madrid and retired this month from Valladolid, retired forward Carlos Aranda, 38, Samuel Saiz Alonso, 28, who plays for Getafe on loan from Leeds, and Inigo Lopez Montana, 36, who plays for Deportivo La Coruna.

El Mundo report the players used direct family members to place bets, with Carlos Aranda’s father named as one of those involved.

Three of the players, Bravo, Fernandez and Aranda, played together in the Real Madrid academy and in the ‘B’ team in the 2001-2002 season, while Saiz and Lopez played together at second-tier Huesca between 2017 and 2017.

Huesca president Agustin Lasaosa and the club’s head of medical services Juan Carlos Galindo Lanuza were also detained, according to reports.

All those detained are accused of belonging to a criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering.

When contacted by Golder’s News and Sport the National Police declined to comment on the case as the investigation is ongoing.

Saiz signed for Leeds from Huesca in 2017 and made 53 appearances for the club before being sent on a six-month to Getafe in December 2018.

Bravo made five appearances for Leeds in 2003 in an unsuccessful loan spell from Real Madrid.